Real or Reel Life
by Cynthia03
Summary: I'm a disney star so I'm always watching out for stuff I say and do in public to be a good example but irl I'm always hooking up with different stars and starlets and you happened to be one of them and wHOOPS pictures of us making out leaked online? now I have to fake date you for a while otherwise my god girl reputation will be ruined so pLEASE HELP ME SAVE MY CAREER au


_I'm a disney star so I'm always watching out for stuff I say and do in public to be a good example but irl I'm always hooking up with different stars and starlets and you happened to be one of them and wHOOPS pictures of us making out leaked online? now I have to fake date you for a while otherwise my god girl reputation will be ruined so pLEASE HELP ME SAVE MY CAREER au_

Emma walked beside her co-worker in a quiet street in L.A. Well, as quiet as it could ever be in L.A.

She sipped the iced macchiato her co-star had bought for her as she lowered the giant black hat she was wearing in order to have some precious moments of privacy.

But of course being a Disney star came at the expense of privacy.

About five paparazzi showed up in front of them, blinding them both with their flashlights and Emma recognized two of them who she was pretty sure were stalking them.

She felt Killian, her co-star and now according to the world, her boyfriend, slip his hand into hers. Remembering their truce, Emma tightened her hold on his hand and turned her head as if to whisper something in his ear and then smiled up at him, Killian flashing his dimpled smile back at her as the cameras captured it all.

A cute moment between a couple. _Perfect._

"Don't you love me?" Killian joked, teasing her endlessly about it whenever they were caught with paparazzi or over-eager fans asking them sometimes very private questions.

Emma rolled her eyes and once the paparazzi left them alone, jerked her hand away from his as he smirked at her.

/

It had all started when Emma Swan, a twenty-two year old Disney launched actress was called back to another one of their new shows for a guest appearance. _The Untold Truth,_ Disney's show about the real story behind Peter Pan – the teenager actually being a demon who kills the Lost Boys, and Captain Hook being the hero who saves them.

Emma was meant to be a two-episode guest star, playing a strong woman named Anna who was meant to kick Captain Hook's ass as he tried to steal a compass from her. Her short stint on the show had gained quite a bit of a hike in TRP's as people had really enjoyed her and Captain Hook's chemistry and had hoped for their romantic pairing. Eventually, she was signed as a series regular and was to play the role of Anna, a fierce Savior, and also the love interest of Captain Hook.

The one-handed pirate was played by no one other than the drop-dead gorgeous and the title-holder of 2nd Sexiest Man in the World, Killian Jones. The blue-eyed bad boy had a reputation of sleeping around with all his co-stars and partying like crazy. He was too cocky for his own good; famous for gloating about his devilishly handsome looks, making Emma hate him before she even met him.

Of course he had flirted, and wiggled his eyebrows, and muttered sexual innuendoes at her as she fought back a smile at the ridiculousness and instead rolled her eyes or came back with a witty remark of her own, making him flash her an impressed smile.

Emma herself quite enjoyed all the partying and hooking up that this industry provided, but since she was a Disney star and quite frankly also cause of her gender, she was asked to maintain a "good girl" image for the cameras.

Like being confident and active sexually wasn't a "good girl" image. _Okay, okay hi fifteenth century_.

That didn't mean she couldn't have any fun.

Behind the cameras, Emma was a sex driven woman – her little flings starting with her first show's love interest Graham Humbert, and the latest being Mulan – another character on the show. Emma loved to experiment and after a couple of shots, anyone – whether man or woman, one person or multiple, seemed perfect.

The only exception to her sexual adventures was her co-star Killian Jones.

It wasn't that Emma didn't want to sleep with him, to feel his lips over hers as his fingers explored intimate parts of her body and she panted his name continuously - it was that he was such a self-boasting cocky asshole that Emma could not give him the satisfaction of being with her.

They shared insane chemistry on the screen; them both being praised for it by critics and fans. She felt it too – the little prickling in the air between the both of them as they did their scenes.

But she felt it off-screen as well. She felt it whenever he flashed her that dimpled smile or his too blue eyes raked over her body, making her heart beat faster. When their fingers accidently brushed, and when he stood too close to her – the man had no sense of her personal space (she never took a step back).

She hated how easily they bantered with each other every day on set, and how he managed to make her laugh after an exhausting fifteen-hour shoot day.

She hated how he made her _feel_.

/

When the day of their first big kiss came, she was nervous. Not that she minded kissing scenes, on the contrary quite enjoyed them actually. But she didn't want to kiss _him_.

"Ready, Swan?" he winked at her, and for a moment Emma could see behind his mask his own nervousness as his hand came behind his ear to scratch; a quirk so uniquely Killian Jones.

She rolled her eyes as he winked again, and gave him her best " _bitch please_ " look.

Once "action" was heard, they began.

"Is this all the compass is worth to you?" he took a step forward, challenging Emma no Anna!

"Please" Anna shook her head, "You couldn't handle it"

"Perhaps you're the one who couldn't handle it" he said, elongating the 't' and staring at her with such barely concealed lust and a dangerous glint in his eyes that Emma couldn't wait to prove him wrong.

So grabbing at the lapels of his jacket, she crushed her lips onto his, swallowing the surprised groan he elicited once Emma lined his lower lip with her tongue. One of the rules of Kissing Scenes was to not use tongue unless it was specified and agreed on by both actors previously. But right now it wasn't Anna kissing Captain Hook, but instead Emma kissing Killian.

She felt Killian open his mouth, allowing her tongue to slide in and his arms circling her waist to pull her hard against him as his fake hook dug in her ass.

"Cut cut cut CUT" one of the PA's repeated voice blared from the microphone and they broke apart, Emma still clutching at his lapels and Killian moving forward a bit, as if he wanted to dive in again.

Emma turned away abruptly and watching the expression of everyone inside the room realized that they cut the scene a while ago, but their orders fell on deaf ears.

"All right dearies" the director Robert Gold spoke, "That kiss was good enough. Now just need to get it one more time from another angle and your lines after it"

Emma nodded at him and the crew started to set up for the other angle, her make-up artist already fixing the smudged make-up around her cheeks and lips. She turned around towards Killian and watched him touch his lips, an expression mixed of wonderment and confusion on his face.

When they came together to shoot the kiss again, he had no ready innuendo or smirk or grin or wink. Just a shy little smile and that smile sent a shiver down Emma's spine.

/

That night in the club, Emma nursed her almost empty martini standing at the corner of the bar where the music could be barely heard as she debated between joining Mulan and Philip for a threesome, or hooking up with Graham again who had shown up to the club after a long time.

She felt an arm brush hers and a drink being passed to her, a strawberry mojito, one of her favorites.

"Hey" Killian whispered, taking a sip from his beer.

"Hi" she replied, trying to sound nonchalant and uninterested.

He obviously didn't fall for that, "The scene today – it was phenomenal, you are a great kisser" he complimented her, offering a sweet smile.

"Ya" Emma's throat suddenly felt dry as she remembered the way he had clutched onto her for dear life, "It was good". She gulped down her entire drink, wanting to settle the uneasiness in the pit of her stomach.

Killian emptied his beer bottle too, "I was hoping, well I'm not sure this is a good idea, but maybe you and I could er-maybe you know" he cursed at himself as _damn it_ he's supposed to be good at this and smooth, "If you'd want to, er you kn-" he fumbled and before he could complete his sentence, felt Emma's soft lips over his.

She moved until his back was pressed to a wall, her hand coming up to cup his cheek as his settled on her ass and the other buried in her hair. She moved her hand from his cheek down to his chest, her fingers finding his soft chest hair that he always kept on display. She pressed her hips against his, feeling him hot and hard and she moved slightly, earning a grunt from him.

He brought his other hand down to her spine and finally to her other ass cheek as he squeezed, making Emma moan. As a final parting gift, Emma flicked her tongue on his lower lip (a trick she knew made her suitors go _crazy_ ) and reveled in the way Killian groaned inside her mouth.

"My place?" he asked once they separated, his dark blue eyes roaming all over her face and it has _never_ felt like this.

So she pressed her lips to his a final time before she muttered, "Not interested" and walked away.

Little did she know that she would wake up to her manager, Regina Mills, yelling at her as pictures of her and Killian Jones were all over social media and magazines. Their fans had gone crazy and had already made a ship name for them and edited hearts into their pictures, along with cheesy romantic captions.

Mr. Gold, Disney, Emma with her manager Regina, and Killian and his manager Robin, sat down together and had come to the conclusion that Emma and Killian were to pretend to date – it was good for the ratings of the show, and for their individual image. After around three months, they could "break up" once another celebrity couple made the news and they were forgotten.

/

Their little dating act commences.

Emma ignores the fact that she kissed him and he doesn't pester her about it. _Thank the Lord._

Although he does return to his old ways with her – the blatant flirting, winking, smirking and all the things that are him. The shy and genuine smile he had given her all forgotten and Emma wondered if she had imagined it.

During the first two weeks, Emma laced her fingers with his when they walked down the street, the paparazzi going crazy and taking pictures. They would sometimes even peck on the lips whenever they knew fans were watching. On interviews they used phrases such as " _she's great_ " or " _he's amazing_ " when asked about each other.

They were asked to tweet about each other, to post pictures of them together on Instagram. Emma was also asked to be seen leaving his house on Sunday afternoon wearing one of his t-shirts.

By the end of the two-week they were sitting at the patio area of an Italian restaurant, having dinner and once in a while smiling and kissing as they could spot the paparazzi outside.

"So why did you become an actor, Swan?" Killian asked her, leaning back in his chair.

"The money and I love acting" Emma answered; the two reasons she tells everybody.

"Don't lie to me, love and don't insult our job" he said, coking an eyebrow up, "Why'd you decide to choose this profession?"

Emma leaned back in her chair, dropping her fork to cross her arms. She'd known Killian for almost six months by now and has spent quite a bit of time with him – almost six hours every day for their job and since this dating fiasco even more than that. They have talked a lot obviously, but most of it has been useless banter back and forth as they teased each other mercilessly.

She wasn't sure if it was her talking or her fourth drink of martini, "Well I'm sure you know I grew up in foster care"

"Aye, I'm aware" he nodded, everyone knew about the famous Emma Swan being a foster care child.

"Well, when I was little I used to pretend that I wasn't actually Emma but someone else. Those little thoughts and stories in my head were what kept me going and so when I got a chance in Disney at fifteen, I jumped right in" she confessed, feeling herself getting red as it isn't the usual "I loved the art" or "I was passionate about acting" reasoning.

Killian nodded, smiling to himself.

"What about you?" Emma asked. She was expecting a very cocky answer of how people couldn't resist his devilishly handsome looks but he surprised her.

"My parents died when I was just a child" Killian spoke, his voice soft, "I was brought up by my brother Liam who lives in England. Acting just sort of spoke to me on a different level – I remember my Ma reading to me all these stories and I always used to pretend as if I was the main hero. Now, being an actor, I get to choose the mask I get to wear and I love it"

Emma blinked a couple of times. As much as Killian's partying life style and his sex-life was open for tabloid news, no one knew about his personal live. Hell, no one even knew he had a brother.

"You have a brother?" Emma asked, shocked.

"Aye" Killian laughed, "A ponce brother who runs a bookstore in Birmingham. Nobody knows about him, he likes his quiet and personal life and wishes to keep it that way" he says with a fond expression on his face.

"Do you have a picture?"

Killian immediately takes his phone out. Once he finds what he's looking for he shows it to her – a picture of him along with a curly haired man and Emma can see the resemblance in both of them. They are both sitting on a couch with beers in their hands and big goofy matching grins.

"His wife Elsa took it" he explains, "She also loves her privacy so no one really knows about them"

"The only one in my life is my dog" Emma shrugs, "You've already met him"

"Aye" Killian nods and smiles at her as she smiles back.

And something has shifted in their fake relationship.

/

A month into their fake relationship they are more at ease with each other – the hand holding, kissing, making doey eyes at each other coming naturally now. On screen they are killing it with their intense 'will they won't they' love story and behind the screen they are killing their fans with their public display of affections.

The usual rumors erupt as well: cheating on each other, an engagement, Emma pregnant, or a secret marriage but they shoot them all down as they stand strong together – Emma maintaining her good girl status and Killian changing his bad ways for her.

They do sometimes end up hooking up with someone else as everyone in the industry knows what their relationship really is, and understands the reason behind it. But with each passing outing, the hooking up becomes more and more infrequent to the point where now they just sit, drink, and talk to each other.

The only times they initiate physical contact is when they are in public, but the amount of times Emma leans into him, or his arm comes around her shoulder, or he tucks her blond curl back, or she plays with his necklace when they are alone and have no one to show it off to increases.

/

At the Teen Choice Awards, they show up together – holding hands, complimenting each other, and kissing for the fans and cameras.

They win Favorite Couple, Best Chemistry and Favorite Kiss, to no ones surprise. Once they go up on stage to collect their award for Best Kiss, they are asked to reenact it and Killian jokes about " _which time_ " as his character only kissed her once, while he kissed her a lot.

They reenact their scene from the show and earn applauses, and whistles and many articles written about them next morning.

Emma wins Best Actress and he stands up, kisses her chastely and remains standing until she reaches the stage and accepts the awards, thanking him in her speech to which he takes a bow making her and the audience laugh, and once she leaves the stage he rushes to the stairs to help her down, a hand clasped tightly into hers and the other lifting the long trail of her dress.

Back at their seat, he kisses her cheek and there is a glint of proudness and genuine happiness in his eyes and smile, and Emma knows he isn't acting then.

And something has shifted in their fake relationship.

/

She's laughing, happy tears rolling down her cheeks as her stomach clenches.

And he laughs along with her, not sure whether on the actual matter or the way her nose is scrunched and her eyes are red and the rum spilled all over her top and his carpet once she spat it out, unable to control.

And it's the _happiest_ either one of them have ever been.

/

Two months in they go to Graham's birthday party.

At this point it feels too real since they haven't been with anyone else for over a month now.

As much as Emma was dreading this before, she has started enjoying her time with him – listening to his stories about his childhood, listening to him play the guitar, and even some of his crazy sex adventures with actors and models.

He sings _I Will Always Love You_ all the freaking time, and she laughs at him and tells him she hates it but really she actually loves it.

She shares too - delving a bit into her foster care past but not too much in order to keep the mood light and she doesn't like the little smiles he gives her then and his hand on her back, soothing her as he caresses her spine.

They have a fight as well, and _no_ it isn't a relationship thing cause they are _not_ in a relationship – its just all an act. But it all feels _real_ when he slams the door in her face, and doesn't call her at night the way he has gotten used to just to chat. He even ignores her on set the next day as he answers her in a clipped tone and doesn't even bring her her morning coffee or stalk their tumblr tag together in her trailer during breaks.

Of course he still holds her hand and kisses her and smiles for the cameras when the paparazzi take their pictures outside Graham's house. She's wearing a tight red dress with an open back and slits on the side, his touch on her back and side sending heat down her body.

He lets her hand go in the party and walks away without a word – no one to pretend for in there. She takes the opportunity to catch up with one of her best friends, Mary Margaret and David Nolan, the newly married couple but finds herself looking for him amongst the crowd. She catches him, here and there, and when she sees Lily, an up-coming actress, lean into him for a kiss, she turns away and walks towards the bar.

She feels fingertips brushing over her upper arms and she snaps her head to the man beside her, ready to have him hear her mouthful but instead yelps in surprise as she finds her ex-boyfriend smirking at her.

"Neal" she breathes.

"Hey, baby" he smiles, his palm resting on her collarbone.

"What are you doing here?" she asks, trying to move his hand that settles on the exposed skin on her side by the slits on her dress.

"I miss you Ems" he smiles, "Let's get back together – at least for one night". He laughs, Emma smelling the alcohol on him and his bloodshot eyes giving away his drunken state.

"Neal no! Get away from me!" Emma pushes him, not wanting to make a scene in her friend's party. His hand moves to her cheek, and Emma stands up debating between punching him right now or taking him outside and doing a favor to mankind by kicking him so that he can't reproduce.

His hand travels downward and gropes her breast and Emma makes her decision to punch him right here and right now, but as she looks up at him, sees a fist coming in contact with his face and he stumbles back. Another punch and Neal's on the ground, clutching at his bloodied nose, which is definitely broken by the looks of it.

"Killian!" Emma yells, jumping in front of him and resting her palms on his chest to stop him. David blocks him as well, getting Neal to stand up and takes him outside.

Killian looks down at her, _finally_ looks at her, the fury in his eyes disappearing within a second to something softer. He brushes her hair back and cradles her face, "Are you alright, Emma?"

"I'm fine! What were you thinking? I'm not some damsel in dis-" she starts to yell, her eyes burning with unshed tears and she finds herself pressed tightly against him as he hugs her, his face nuzzling into her neck and she lets her arms come around his back as she _missed_ him.

And something has shifted in their fake relationship.

/

That night he takes her to his house like he's done numerous times before when they are asked to be photographed in their night-clothes on his balcony or to have Emma leave his house in the morning in his shirt.

She always sleeps in the extra room, but he takes her to his bedroom this time – handing her his flannel pajamas and a loose white shirt to change into. She doesn't ask him to leave her while she changes, and is thankful that he _understands_ and just unzips her dress and turns his head around.

He pulls the covers up and she slips in, his warm body beside her in a moment as he gathers her in his arms, his lips touching her forehead.

And she _needs_ this.

He holds her tight as she sobs and sobs and _sobs_ , telling him the story about Neal being the producer who contacted her, her falling for the first person who ever wanted her, his disgusting betrayal and demands from her once she made it big and the scars he left on her heart since then.

He waits until her breathing is even before he kisses her forehead and lets himself slip into a peaceful slumber with Emma snuggled to his side.

In the morning as they sit in the balcony eating breakfast because they _want_ to and not because the paparazzi are there, he tells her all about his high school sweetheart – a beautiful girl named Milah who was his first everything. She died in a crash car and left a hole in his heart.

She will always be his first love, just like Neal will be hers. No matter how much it hurt, there was nothing they could do but let their hearts heal.

They suspected their hearts had started to - together.

Once Killian falls silent after going down memory lane, Emma scoots closer to him and runs her hand up and down his arm and sings a terrible version of _I Will Always Love You_ until he cracks a smile for her and if the paparazzi capture this tender moment, they still wouldn't have been able to capture the raw emotion in their eyes.

/

They're in Paris for an event and it's late and chilly and just so _damn_ romantic with the Eiffel Tower visible from every corner and just the vibe of the historic city. The streets are almost vacant as all the fancy stores are closed; the only other night lurkers being a few drunken youngsters roaming around with brown-bagged alcohol and shouting words that would put their mothers to shame.

They're walking side by side in sync, Emma's arm curled around his and a smile that could put the sun to shame. Killian has an excited grin plastered on his face and he tilts his head slightly as he feels Emma's chin dig into his shoulder. Once his lips hover over her face, _too close_ , she blushes and pulls away only to nuzzle her head on his shoulder, Killian chuckling silently.

There are no fans or paparazzi taking pictures.

/

The three months come to an end and the media erupts with one of the Kardashian's new controversial relationship.

Disney gives them the green light to "break-up" and their managers, Robin and Regina who are now officially dating themselves, announce it to the media without consulting either one of them.

/

The flashlights are blinding Emma as she spots Killian on a quiet L.A. street. Well, as quiet as it could ever be in L.A.

She can hear questions about their broken relationship being shouted at her and she wants privacy right now, but being a Disney star means she gets none.

Once she reaches him, she smiles and his entire face lights up like she's the one who hung the moon and stars. She drowns out the blinding flashlights, and shouting, and dozens of fans surrounding them, as she focuses on him and her and _them_.

She brings her arms around his neck as he circles her waist. With a slight tilt of their heads, their lips finally meet and its _everything_.

And they're probably giving everyone a good show but damn them. They could care less about public image right now when they're kissing like they've never done it before, the unspoken _want_ and _need_ and _something deep and wild_ of these past months pouring out of them.

They separate for air, eyes crinkling with happiness and lips formed in big goofy smiles.

She slips her hand into his, and squeezes gently; Killian tightening his hold on her hand and turning his head to whisper something in her ear, his face all genuine and happy, "Don't you love me?"

"Yes, I do" Emma replies and once the paparazzi leaves them alone, she keeps her hand in his and places a kiss on his cheek.

And something has shifted in their relationship.

/


End file.
